Miles Norris is really, really excited to be a Boston Celtic

BRIGHTON — Miles Norris was on his way home from a G-League game in Santa Cruz when he got the call from his agent: the Celtics wanted to sign him as their third two-way player.

“He said, ‘Go home, pack up, be ready to go in the morning,’” Norris recalled, speaking to reporters for the first time as a Celtic. “I packed as much as I could. It’s good to be here.”

The call was a long time coming.

Norris went undrafted in 2023 after a collegiate career that included stints in Oregon, CC of San Francisco, and UC Santa Barbara. He’s bounced around in the G League ever since, spending last season with the College Park Skyhawks, Atlanta’s G League affiliate, and this season with the Memphis Hustle.

On Monday, he toured the Auerbach Center for the first time and completed his physical. On Tuesday, he met Joe Mazzulla and the rest of the Celtics staff and players, joining the team for a morning film session that was enough to highlight that the Celtics were a winning organization.

“It seems like they are a really connected group,” Norris said. “I’m really excited to be a part of that. Some locker rooms are a little different. It seems like they have a really strong connection chemistry-wise and in the locker room.”

Norris has one pre-existing relationship with a veteran Celtic: Payton Pritchard, who he was teammates with his freshman year at Oregon in 2019.

The two got to briefly catch up on Tuesday morning.

“Payton’s a great guy,” Norris said. “It’s good to see him again, good to be back playing with him again after college. Small world. It’s like a full-circle moment for me and Payton.”

Norris is also familiar with Mazzulla, but in the very limited way that most people in the basketball world are — from seeing his viral press conference moments on Instagram.

“Some of the press conferences with him are pretty funny,” Norris said with a smile. “But he’s a good dude. An intense coach, but he also has a sense of humor to him, so I like that.”

Norris went to Brewster Academy for high school, which is a couple hours from Boston in New Hampshire. He’s been to Boston a few times, and said his early impressions were positive.

“I love the city of Boston,” Norris said. “I’ve been here a couple times. I’m gonna get used to the cold weather, though, because I’m a California guy, so gotta get used to the cold. But, I love it out here, so far – I love the people, coaching staff, the whole organization.”

What stood out to the Celtics about Miles Norris

Norris has had an outstanding year for the Hustle. He’s averaging 17.1 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, while shooting 38.5% from three. Mazzulla said that Norris’s length, athleticism, and shooting ability all stood as the Celtics opted to sign him.

Mazzulla also said that his previous history of playing with Pritchard helped give the Celtics added confidence in the signing.

“If you know guys that know other guys and they can vouch for them, how they are, especially in the locker room, how they are outside of the floor, it definitely helps,” Mazzulla said.

Norris’s excitement was palpable during his brief conversation with reporters; in fact, he used the word “excited” 12 times in the 5-minute interview.

That excitement is understandable; this is the 24-year-old’s first time on a two-way contract, and it seems he could be a great fit.

Jon Rosen, who provides color commentary for the Hustle, told CelticsBlog he believes he will seamlessly integrate into the Celtics’ three-point-heavy offense.

“Miles is perfect for the Celtics,” Rosen said. “He is a shooter. He does show his athleticism every now and then and he will hammer one down, [he’s a] right-handed dunker… Miles Norris will absolutely shoot the cover off the ball, and he shoots it a ton.”

Most two-way players spend most of their time with the G League club, and it sounds like it’s up in the air for Norris right now. But, for a guy who didn’t hear his name on draft night, and has yet to sign a two-way, it was obvious this was a momumental moment.

“I’ve been playing well all season, just kind of sticking it out in the G League, waiting for my call — control what I can control,” Norris said. “But it’s really good to be here in Boston. Like I said, a winning culture. I’m just really excited to be part of this organization.”